OER evaluation as a means of teaching information literacy in individual and small group settings

ABSTRACT

Open education resources represent a great opportunity to reduce textbook costs, but many of them have not been evaluated for quality. Librarians and former students in an introduction to engineering course collected and evaluated open education resources to supplement the course textbook in future semesters. Both searching for and evaluating these resources created opportunities for the librarians to evaluate information literacy skills of these students and to provide instruction to improve these skills.     

Five critiques of the open educational resources movement

This paper will review existing literature on Open Educational Resources (OER). It is intended to examine and critique the theories which underpin the promotion of OER in higher education, not provide guidance on their implementation. (1) I will introduce the concepts of positive and negative liberty to suggest an under-theorisation of the term ‘open’. (2) OER literature will be shown to endorse a two-tiered system, in which the institution is both maintained and disaggregated. (3) I will highlight a diminishing of the role of pedagogy within the OER vision and the promotion of a learner-centred model for education. (4) This stance will be aligned with humanistic assumptions of unproblematic self-direction and autonomy. (5) I will discuss the extent to which the OER movement aligns itself with economically orientated models of the university. I offer these critiques as a framework for the OER movement to develop as a theoretically rigorous area of scholarship.     

Transgenic learning for STEAM subjects and virtual containers for OER

Abstract

Transgenic learning is a disruptive approach in education. It encourages modification of moving parts of the educational chain. This article provides a view of transgenic learning focused on the delivery of enriched learning contents in STEAM areas. It discusses the mutagenic role that the virtual containers may play in current distance education. We focus on the containers’ technology and how it can bridge students, computing resources, teachers and specific IT needs. We also present an experiment carried out at UNIR University where we describe the transition from using conventional software distribution methods to the use of containers. Thanks to this virtualization approach, it is possible to deliver the necessary software-based lab scenarios. The results show that the participation and satisfaction of the students increased over time. Our experience shows that the combination of open educational resources, containers, and modern distribution channels can play a significant role in STEAM education.     

中美顶尖高校E-learning、网络教育及OER开展比较及启示——基于高校应对时代发展挑战的视角

E-learning、网络教育和开放教育资源(OER)是当前高校教学信息化在实践层面的重要表现,也是高校应对时代发展挑战的不同形态。鉴于顶尖高校具有的引领作用和重要影响,从高校应对时代发展挑战的视角,对中美顶尖高校E-learning、网络教育和OER的开展概况进行调查和比较。研究发现,中美顶尖高校在E-learning开展成熟度、网络教育开展层次、OER推动模式等方面存在较大差异。基于比较分析,为我国高校E-learning、网络教育和OER的进一步发展提出建议。     

Forms of innovation inspired by open educational resources: a post-project analysis

It has been argued that Open Educational Resources (OER) present opportunities for innovation in education. However, there has been a lack of retrospective analysis of the forms of innovation that can emerge through OER, and the processes and challenges these entail. This paper presents a post-project analysis of the diverse uses and impacts of open courses produced through an international OER initiative. A thematic analysis of retrospective interviews and documentation from this case study is reported on, guided by a review of relevant concepts from innovation and OER literature. Through this we identify three archetypal forms through which the OER created opportunities for innovation: Specific Adoption; Preferred Practise and Foundations for Innovation. We identify drivers and inhibitors through which these forms of innovation interacted with each other in this initiative. This elaborates on the notion that a single existing model does not capture the multi-faceted relationships between innovation and OER.     

Open Educational Resources and the Transformation of Education

The extremely rapid expansion of open educational resource (OER) initiatives and the millions of learners they attract can be understood as an indicator of an emerging revolution in education and learning. This article describes recent developments in this area and develops conceptual foundations for studies and policies on OER. We describe four different types of OER, locate these in a field of learning theories, and discuss how the wide adoption of OER may constrain and accelerate the transformation of learning and education in the knowledge society.     

Study of TED and Its Influence on College English Teaching

TED, with its unique concept of sharing it has been consistently advocating and maintaining, definitely serves a leading role in future educational revolution. Given English is the official language in the international and inclusive talks, TED has proven to a non-conventional educational and teaching resources for college English teaching. This paper studies its contributions and influences on English teaching, in the expectation that TED as an open educational resources would be utilized effectively in promoting the development of college English teaching.     

支持开放教育资源项目的方法

本文考察了英国教育技术互用性标准中心（CETIS）通过支持国家项目（即英国联合信息系统委员会（JISC）和高等教育委员会的英国开放教育资源试点项目,详见http：／／www．jisc．ae．uk／oer）,以促进发布开放教育资源方面的经验,并探索了如何让我们的支持模式对其他相关项目有所启发,并能改编用于鼓励开放课件运动的可持续性技术支持网络。作为一个涵盖英国众多大学的国家层面的创新举措,众多开放教育资源提供者参与了英国开放教育资源（UKOER）,这包括个别教育者、学科联合体和机构。考虑到这种多样性,从一开始我们就意识到没有任何一种技术解决方案能适合所有的项目。因此,也没有委托专门的工具、描述性标准、交流或分发机制（除要求所有制作的资源应该放在国家学习资源库中外,详见http：／／jorum．ae．uk）。为了支持这一项目,我们引导采取不同的方法和形成不同的社群,也许在支持发布开放教育资源方面,任何类似的跨机构创新都将会面临相似的问题。我们的项目支持方法已从具体的细节问题发展到提供基本的支持原则,从而预测其他问题,并推动最佳实践。我们的做法是：通过会议上的技术汇报和讨论机会,以及在博客上发帖,激发讨论;通过技术评论讨论,并记录针对这些公布在网上的讨论的总结性内容,从而调查个别项目的技术选择;针对通过以上方式所发现的问题,以及项目博客上凸显的问题,做出相应的反馈。考虑到如何使这一方法在更广泛的范围内应用,我们也反思了这种公开的工作模式所面临的挑战、这一方法的开支、适应性,以及我们所认为的其在支持开放教育资源管理和传播方面所扮演的角色。     

网上形成性考核改革促使开放教育实践水平的提升——以中央广播电视大学“综合英语”系列课程为例

中央广播电视大学是世界上最大的远程教育机构,开设有849门课程,大部分课程都有在线学习的成分,因此,利用网上形成性考核的方式进行开放教育学习支持服务具有重要作用。中央广播电视大学开放教育英语专业专科层次综合英语系列课程先后经过‘综合英语’网络课程建设项目(2006-2008年)与‘综合英语’课程教学团队建设项目网上形成性考核子项目(2009年至今)两次大规模的开放教育资源革新。本研究通过运用开放教育实践矩阵以及问卷调查分析方法判定两个项目实施前后综合英语课程开放教育资源和开放教育实践的开放程度。通过分析该课程的社会参与程度、协作使用和开放的程度以及开放教育实践自主自由度和社会协作程度,本研究得出以下结论:中央广播电视大学综合英语课程开放教育实践经历了一个从初级到中级再到高级的发展过程;从使用者处获得的信息反馈对于丰富和提升网上形成性考核学习资源的质量具有持续性价值;需要持续关注、研究和改进开放教育实践,以满足学习者不断新增的学习需要。希望本研究对其他教学机构和个人在促进开放教育实践的开放度方面有一定借鉴意义。